Canada Clears Gene-Edited High-GABA Tomato as Safe Non-Novel Food

Japanese biotechnology firm Sanatech Life Science Co., Ltd. has secured regulatory clearance in Canada for its gene-edited Sicilian Rouge High GABA tomato. Following a thorough review by Health Canada's Novel Foods Section, the federal agency determined that the product meets all requirements under its plant breeding guidelines and does not meet the definition of a novel food.

By avoiding the regulatory classification typically reserved for traditional genetically modified organisms, Health Canada has essentially confirmed that the gene-edited tomato is as safe as varieties produced through conventional breeding. As part of this Transparency Initiative process, the government will officially list the crop on its public database of non-novel products allowed for food use.

Originally launched in Japan by Sanatech in 2021, the High GABA tomato was developed using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. This variety boasts four to five times as much gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as conventional tomatoes, an amino acid known for its health benefits, including helping lower blood pressure.

This regulatory milestone marks a major step forward for Sanatech's international commercialization goals. With Canada's official safety clearance secured, the company announced it plans to aggressively accelerate the expansion and distribution of its nutritionally enhanced High-GABA tomato across the North American market.

For more details, read the article on the Sanatech website.